Evan McKenzie on the rise of private urban governance and the law of homeowner and condominium associations. Visit evanmckenzie.wikispaces.com for my published articles and services.

Wednesday, June 02, 2004

FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Private Rocket to Try Reaching SpaceMOJAVE, Calif. — A privately developed manned rocket will attempt to reach space this month, its builders said Wednesday. It would be the first non-governmental flight to leave Earth's atmosphere. SpaceShipOne (search), created by aviation designer Burt Rutan and funded by billionaire Paul Allen (search), will attempt to reach an altitude of 62 miles on a suborbital flight over the Mojave Desert (search) on June 21. The rocket plane reached an altitude of about 40 miles during a test flight May 13. Suborbital flights are essentially up and down. The craft does not reach speeds fast enough go into orbit around the Earth. If the attempt is successful, SpaceShipOne will compete for the Ansari X Prize, a competition in which $10 million goes to the first reusable rocket able to carry three people into space on a suborbital flight, return them safely to Earth, and repeat the feat within two weeks with the same vehicle. A number of other private organizations are also developing contenders for the prize.

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I think SpaceShipOne is a weak name. How about....Moonraker?

Update from California Law Revision CommissionHere's some updated information from the CLRC on two of the bills they proposed, both of which are in the legislature at present. One is AB 1836, dealing with alternative dispute resolution, and the other is AB 2376, that would implement the CLRC's recommendations on architectural review and rulemaking.

The CLRC, by the way, is in the Governator's sights. He wants to abolish it as a money-saving measure.

Tuesday, June 01, 2004

Darwin Award Nominee?A Lee's Summit man nearly drowned Monday morning while trying to recover his keys at Longview Lake. The Missouri Water Patrol gave the following account: The man, 54, used a garden hose as a breathing tube and jumped into the lake with a rope and a 20-pound anchor tied to his waist. He went underwater once and came up without the keys. He went down a second time, lost the garden hose and ran out of breath. A person on the surface realized something was wrong and pulled the man out with the rope. The victim was unresponsive for a short time but began breathing on his own. He refused medical treatment.

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Some details are missing from this account. First, did he refuse treatment for anoxia or no-brain syndrome? Second, has he filed his lawsuit yet? The garden hose company, the manufacturer of the "anchor," whatever that was, the HOA if a private lake or municipality if public, the rescuer...did I leave anybody out?

About Me

I am a professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an adjunct professor at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. Nothing contained in this blog represents the opinions of UIC or John Marshall, and nothing you see here is legal advice. You can reach me at ecmlaw@gmail.com